Bennelong Dancer stamped himself as Southern District's most exciting talent with a runaway victory in the $150,000 SDRA Country Championships Qualifier (1400m) at Albury on Saturday.
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The Albury mare provided trainer Donna Scott with the biggest moment of her career as Bennelong Dancer ($2.50) went one better than last year's second place finish.
Albury apprentice Blaike McDougall stamped himself as Southern District's premier jockey by producing a pearler of a ride to win the feature race.
Bennelong Dancer hit the front and quickly exploded away to put the race away in a blink of an eye. She won by 3¼ lengths from Lady Mironton ($17.00), with Forever Newyork ($5.50) a further 2½ lengths back in third.
It was an emotional victory for Scott and her team.
"It is because there was a lot of pressure because she shortened quite a bit in the market and things like that," Scott said.
"It's unbelievable. I can't believe it, really. It's just sensational.
"So much time and effort. Some people were doubting us because she was coming into it fresh but it was a plan for a long time.
"We were super happy with her preparation and couldn't have been happier with her."
Bennelong Dancer ran second in last year's SDRA Qualifier behind O' So Hazy at Wagga and then backed that up with a fourth-place finish in the final at Randwick.
She only had four starts since that day to ensure she was eligible to go one better in this year's event.
... last year she ran fourth and she's going better than last year so we'll be up there with a real crack
- Bennelong Dancer's trainer Donna Scott ahead of the Randwick final.
It was a family affair for Scott, whose father Graham Hulm used to train the horse. Her daughter's boyfriend, McDougall, doing the riding.
"It is, absolutely," she said.
"Blake, my daughter's home, my son's now working in the stables. Rhys and Leanne they spell and buy and put a heap of money into it and all that sort of stuff so it's great."
McDougall was pleased most for the five-year-old mare herself.
"It feels really good," McDougall said.
"Mainly just for the horse, you've got the sob story about the family, we all know the family's involved, it's great for Donna, it's great for the family but mainly for the horse."
The win qualifies Bennelong Dancer for the $500,000 Country Championships final for a second consecutive year.
Scott is yet to decide how to attack Bennelong Dancer's preparation for the final and will wait to see how her mare pulls up.
"That's just a bonus on top," she said.
"This was her big thing because it's a tough race, you're getting the best up there. But you know, last year she ran fourth and she's going better than last year so we'll be up there with a real crack.
